Giants hold off on activating Affeldt from DL

By Chris Haft / MLB.com

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants delayed left-hander Jeremy Affeldt's reinstatement from the disabled list until Wednesday, giving themselves more time to address the difficulty of making a corresponding roster move.

"Right now, this is in a holding pattern," manager Bruce Bochy said Tuesday.

Ordinarily, the Giants would drop a reliever while adding Affeldt. But each reliever viewed as most vulnerable to a demotion -- right-handers Juan Gutierrez and Jean Machi and left-hander David Huff -- has no Minor League options remaining. Any of the three would have to clear waivers before being sent to Triple-A Fresno.

Bochy did not rule out the possibility of using a 13-man pitching staff and dropping a position player.

Affeldt, who has been sidelined since late March with a sprained right knee, threw off a bullpen mound Tuesday.

Marco Scutaro's status remained unchanged, as Bochy related that the second baseman has continued to perform baseball-related activities while coping with his sore back at the Giants' Scottsdale, Ariz., training complex.

"I don't have a target date for [Scutaro's return]," Bochy said. "He's still having his really good days and days where he has to back off a little bit."

Giants sticking with Crawford batting seventh

SAN FRANCISCO -- The question arises whenever Brandon Crawford thrives offensively: Would the Giants consider elevating him in the batting order?

Manager Bruce Bochy's usual answer is the same one he delivered Tuesday -- no.

"I've got some pretty good guys up there right now," said Bochy, whose club ranked third in the National League in scoring entering the series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers. "I like him where he is now, behind [Michael] Morse."

Crawford entered Tuesday batting .308 overall, including .333 (9-for-27) from the seventh spot in the order, where he's often preceded immediately by Morse.

But San Francisco's No. 2 hitters have combined to bat .226 in the team's first 13 games. Hunter Pence and Brandon Belt have shared that berth, hitting .200 (4-for-20) and .267 (8-for-30), respectively. Belt also has contributed three homers from the No. 2 spot, which was earmarked for second baseman Marco Scutaro until a bad back sidelined him.

Cain lends support to San Francisco RBI program

SAN FRANCISCO -- Matt Cain has dedicated himself to another team in this city.

The Giants right-hander has become an ardent supporter of San Francisco RBI, a non-profit that promotes literacy by working with students at Dr. William L. Cobb Elementary School and middle schoolers at KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) Bay Area Academy.

"They want to develop the whole child," Cain said, praising San Francisco RBI's program of integrating reading with baseball, softball and technology.

In an interview preceding the event, Cain expressed his admiration for San Francisco RBI, founded and directed by Jim Messemer.

"Jim and everybody who's a part of RBI has done a great job of mixing reading and sports," Cain said. "To read, that opens up so many gateways for you. I think it brings out the life in a lot of kids and [the organization] is able to do that."

Messemer expressed his gratitude for having Cain on his team.

"To me, Matt Cain epitomizes what a role model as a professional athlete should be," Messemer said. "We're trying to develop well-rounded children, and Matt represents that kind of ideology."

Cain's involvement with the group completes a circle of sorts in his life. As a youth growing up near Memphis, Tenn., he received pitching lessons from Mauro Gozzo, a former Major Leaguer. Having been active in various charitable causes, Cain has found another method of using his platform as an athlete in a positive way.

"Baseball has brought a lot of friends into my life," he said.

Chris Haft is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Haft-Baked Ideas, and follow him on Twitter at @sfgiantsbeat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.